Over the last three years, we’ve tested more than 100 different rugs here at The Spruce both in The Lab and in our own homes, including wool rugs, low-pile washable rugs, high-pile shag rugs, and sheepskin rugs. Across all of the many rugs we’ve tested, sheepskin rugs—both real and faux varieties—are the fluffiest and feature the longest fibers, making them a bit more challenging to vacuum and maintain with wear.
After laying out different natural and faux sheepskin rugs, walking on them, washing them, and vacuuming them regularly for over a month, we narrowed our list down to the best we’ve tested. These three wowed us with their style, durability, and super soft feel.
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Visible seam where two pelts are joined
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Needs to be shaken, not vacuumed
Dense, thick, and high-quality, Pottery Barn’s Sheepskin Rug was by far the best option we tested. This rug feels incredibly luxe underfoot, adding a soft, plush layer that looks fantastic on any floor. When we stepped on this rug during testing, we couldn’t get enough of the high pile, standout density, and cozy feel underfoot.
We also loved how well this sheepskin rug stayed in place on our floors. During testing, the leather backing was grippy enough on our hardwood floor and didn’t shift in the slightest, eliminating the need for a rug pad. It laid out flat, too, with no edge curling or imperfections.
Our only complaint about Pottery Barn’s Sheepskin Rug is a tiny detail: We could see a seam where two smaller sheepskin pelts had been sewn together to create the larger rug. That seam does cause a bit of a variation in the fur’s direction and appearance, but it’s a minor detail (and there’s really no avoiding this if you want a real sheepskin rug in a large size!)
It’s also worth noting that you won’t want to vacuum the extra-long fur of this rug, which is pretty typical when caring for sheepskin. Instead, we recommend shaking the rug or giving it a brush with a carpet rake; otherwise, you may run the risk of the rug’s pile getting caught up in your vacuum. Luckily, thanks to the size of this rug, we found it easy to shake out regularly—and when we blotted spills on its surface, we had zero issue getting the fur to look like new.
Pile Height: 2 inches | Material: Natural sheepskin hide | Available Sizes: 2 x 3 feet, 2 x 6 feet
Do Sheepskin Rugs Need Rug Pads?
While the natural hide or leather undersides of sheepskin rugs may seem slippery, we discovered in our testing that they’re actually pretty slip-proof. We didn’t need to use a rug pad underneath any of the options we tested—but if you find you need one, we recommend choosing a thin, low-profile one.
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Extremely soft, plush feel
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Doesn’t shed its fibers
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Adds cushioning and warmth
Soft, thick, and impressively plush when we ran our hands over its fibers, Quince’s Australian Single Sheepskin Rug was by far the softest option we tested. When we laid it out on our floor, we loved how beautiful and luxurious it looked—but we were totally wowed by its silky soft feel.
If you’re looking to add warmth to a living room or bedroom, this sheepskin rug from Quince will do the trick. We loved how it warmed up our space (both physically and visually), and we think it’d be particularly great to add to a room during the chillier months of the year.
And if you’re someone who loves high-pile rugs but doesn’t love how prone they are to shedding, we’ve got great news: This sheepskin rug didn’t shed at all during our testing.
Our only issue with this incredibly soft sheepskin rug was its delicate nature. We were concerned with wear, dirt, and stains from the start since we tested this rug in a home with pets and young kids, so we ended up taking it off the floor and using it as an accent on a loveseat. We don’t think its luxe fibers would handle frequent wear and dirt well, so you may want to be cautious with this rug in a busy, mess-prone home.
Pile Height: Not listed | Material: Natural sheepskin hide | Available Sizes: 2 x 3 feet
When we started testing the Rugs USA Waverly Faux Sheepskin Rug, we were wowed by the density of the plush fibers. Its thick nature made it warm underfoot (an especially great perk when we put it to the test on cold tile flooring!), and we love that, even though it’s faux sheepskin, it feels soft both pre- and post-wash.
We tested this plush faux sheepskin rug in a home with plenty of activity, including two cats and two dogs, right in the center of a high-traffic living room. It didn’t shed at all, even with the dogs playing on top of its surface and cats scratching at its fibers. And because this rug is made with fur-like polyester fibers, it’s washable—and we loved that we could pop it right into our washing machine for easy cleanup.
While we loved how durable this faux sheepskin rug’s fur was in the face of heavy foot traffic and pets, we didn’t love that its color changed over time. When it first arrived, it was a crisp white; by the end of the testing period, we noticed it’d turned more cream than white. This wasn’t a dealbreaker for us, since most true sheepskin rugs are cream-colored, but if you’re hoping for a crisp white, it’s worth noting.
Additionally, we did find the Rugs USA Waverly Faux Sheepskin Rug was more prone to movement than the natural sheepskin rugs we tested. There’s no grippy backing on this rug, so if you notice it’s moving in your home, you may want to add a rug pad underneath (though we went without one.)
Pile Height: 1.4 inches | Material: Polyester | Available Sizes: 2 x 6 feet
Final Verdict
Pottery Barn’s Sheepskin Rug is our overall best sheepskin rug thanks to its high-quality, dense, and soft-to-the-touch fur. The natural sheepskin hide isn’t prone to shedding, and we found it held up impressively well with foot traffic and daily use (and we didn’t even need a rug pad under it.) If you’re looking for real sheepskin that’s also extra plush and soft, we recommend the wonderfully inviting Quince Australian Single Sheepskin Rug.
How We Tested the Sheepskin Rugs
In total, we’ve tested 104 rugs, spending more than 23,296 hours laying them flat, walking on their surfaces, and even spilling stain-prone drinks like red wine and coffee onto their fibers. But there’s quite a lot of variety across area rugs and accent rugs, so when we put the best sheepskin rugs to the test, we took a close look at details like maintenance, durability in low- and high-traffic areas, and softness.
Like all of the rugs we’ve tested, we sent the sheepskin rugs home with testers to try them out in a variety of real-world settings. We included both natural sheepskin and faux sheepskin rugs in our latest round of testing, and we rolled them out in rooms with light to medium foot traffic. Pets, kids, and adults all walked on, sat on, and used the rugs normally over one month. We noted their size, how their fibers or pile height changed with wear, and if they shed significantly.
We were pleased to discover that, out of all of the sheepskin rugs we tested, each one was pleasantly soft and offered a good amount of plushness under foot (including the faux sheepskin!). Although high-pile and long-fiber rugs tend to be trickier to clean and maintain, we did find the options we tested held up to vacuuming quite well.
However, once we reached the one-month mark, we also found that because most natural and faux sheepskin rugs are white or ivory in color, they can develop discoloration easily. High-traffic areas—along with muddy paws, dirty shoes, and tracked-in mud—can pose some unique challenges for even the best sheepskin rugs.
What to Look for in a Sheepskin Rug
Real or Faux Sheepskin: Which is Best?
Real sheepskin and faux sheepskin each have their benefits, and it’s important to choose the one that best suits your home. While real sheepskin rugs can be beautiful, they tend to require more care and aren’t the best for high-traffic households. Faux sheepskin, on the other hand, can be a bit more versatile.
Real sheepskin tends to be softer and more plush, thanks to the densely packed fibers of natural wool. The Quince Australian Single Sheepskin Rug, our pick for the softest sheepskin rug, features 100 percent New Zealand and Australian wool as well as a genuine leather backing.
Faux sheepskin is soft but a little more slick in texture since it is made from synthetic fibers like polyester. However, it can be easier to clean since the material is less delicate (and it’s often more affordable than the real thing, especially in large rug sizes.). The Rugs USA Waverly Double Faux Sheepskin Rug, our most durable pick, is a breeze to maintain, thanks to its washable nature and impressive durability.
A Size That Suits Your Space
Real sheepskin rugs tend to be around 2 x 3 feet when made using a single piece of sheepskin. This more petite size is optimal for layering on another rug or creating a silhouette in a compact corner.
During testing, we found that the smaller size of real sheepskin rugs makes them a great accent piece, too. Though they may not cover your entire space, they look great placed with
There are also rugs available in large sizes. Large rugs made with real sheep pelts are created by arranging several pelts together. That’s the case with Pottery Barn’s Sheepskin Rug, our overall best pick, which features visible seams where two pelts have been connected. In testing, we found that while these seams can change the look of a rug slightly, they’re typically subtle enough that you wouldn’t notice them unless you take a very close look.
Tip from Our Team
Sheepskin rugs may come in traditional sizes, like 2 x 3 feet, but their shape is often far from a standard rectangle. Because these rugs are made of animal hides (or meant to mimic the appearance, if they’re faux), they tend to have an unusual, somewhat triangular shape—a detail to keep in mind as you measure your space.
Care Instructions You Can Handle
Certain sheepskin rugs require more maintenance than others, so it’s important to choose one that suits your lifestyle. If you have a more active household with lots of guests, kids, or pets, a machine-washable rug like the Rugs USA Waverly Double Faux Sheepskin Rug is optimal.
Most real sheepskin rugs require gentle care and may have to be spot- or dry-cleaned. They can be well worth the additional time and resources (you might want to consider buying a carpet rake to gently brush the wool fibers) if you’re hoping to achieve an extra-soft feel.
Why Trust The Spruce?
Heather Adams, senior editor at The Spruce, owns a lot of rugs. While her favorites are washable area rugs, she’s owned a number of faux sheepskin ones as decorative accents and loves the extra-high-pile look. She’s participated in The Spruce’s rug testing, and she used her knowledge of rug retailers, maintenance, and durability to compile this list of the best sheepskin rugs, along with the latest insights from testers at home and in the lab.
Read the full article here
